Visually-Impaired Man Training For 100-Mile Ultra

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Simon Wheatcroft is training for his first 100-mile ultra. Photo: Wired.com

He faces unique challenges when battling the wind.

Wired.com is posting a guest blog by a blind runner named Simon Wheatcroft who is training for a 100-miler. In the second article in the series, Wheatcroft writes about the challenges blind runners face when battling the wind. For runners with good eyesight, strong winds pose challenges for completing long runs and speed work. However, for Wheatcroft, the wind provides yet another obstacle: a lack of audio feedback.

“Shortly after the two-mile mark of my usual route, I needed to cross a small road,” Wheatcroft writes. “I removed my headphones, but instead of the rolling noise of oncoming traffic, all I could hear was the blustering wind. I stood still for a while concentrating for road noise. After a short period, I heard nothing so decided to quickly dash across.”

Unfortunately, the wind only got worse and Wheatcroft was forced to abandon his run. He called his wife to come pick him up. Still, Wheatcroft remains upbeat about the lessons he learned running in the wind. “Experiencing this will allow me to adapt, and for future windy days I will utilize a small closed road,” he writes. “I just hope the wind dies down before this weekend’s 35-mile run. Even if doesn’t, I’ll be ready.”

Duncan Larkin

Duncan Larkin is a freelance journalist and author who’s been covering the sport of running for over a decade. He’s run 2:32 in the marathon and won the Himalayan 100-Mile Stage Race in 2007. He wrote the book RUN SIMPLE, and coaches runners of all abilities.
You can learn more about him here: http://roadsmillslaps.tumblr.com/about